


Like Fireflies

by MurkyMuse



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Birthday Gift Fic, Drabble, F/M, Gen, spoilers for manga 100+
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-13
Updated: 2015-10-13
Packaged: 2018-04-26 06:55:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4994590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MurkyMuse/pseuds/MurkyMuse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The most beautiful thing about fireflies, Zeno thought, was that they returned every summer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like Fireflies

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GoldenWooly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldenWooly/gifts).
  * Translation into Español available: [Como luciérnagas](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9297341) by [narutinachan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/narutinachan/pseuds/narutinachan)



> And another birthday gift drabble! This time for the lovely GoldenOuryuuWooly! Happy Birthday! I hope you enjoy this and that your birthday is wonderful!

The glow of the fireflies floated through the wind, flickering in offbeat rhythms. The grass under his palms was damp with dew, the smell of summer rain calling up childhood memories. Zeno had often chased these glowing bugs with the other village children. Now that simple life seemed so far away with King Hiryuu and the other Dragon Warriors sitting near.

“Zeno, look!” His King called out with a bright grin as he held up his hand, a tiny blinking light clasped carefully inside.

“You caught one, King”, Zeno replied, his voice somewhat flat.

“Why are you getting so excited about bugs, idiot King?”

“It’s childish”, Abi added with beautiful eyes narrowed.

Even Guen couldn’t deny, “It is strange.”

The King laughed a little at the teasing but then his eyes became distant as if he were attempting to grasp a far off memory, “I suppose, before I descended, I saw humans as similar to fireflies. So tiny and fragile, only lasting for a season, yet able to glow so brightly.”

Hiryuu turned to his cute little dragons, that distant look now replaced with warmth and a soft smile that brightened the summer night. Zeno couldn’t help but to smile back.

* * *

The warm summer breeze felt nice blowing through his messy hair. The sight of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of glowing fireflies floating over the field brought back memories and a sad smile to his lips. One hand reached up to his chest, touching the dragon medallion through the worn fabric of his shirt.

“Zeno!”

His hand fell to his side as Zeno turned to his lovely wife. A goofy grin burst across his face at the sight of Kaya running up to him, a brilliant smile on her lips and eyes lit by the blinking jar she carried. 

“You caught some! Yay!”

“Yay!”      

* * *

The humid air felt oppressive even beneath the star filled sky. His cheek was pressed against dried and cracked mud, his clothes in tatters. Clouded blue eyes blinked. How long had he been laying here? Hadn’t it just been snowing? No, no. Those had been white petals, not snowflakes. Maybe?

“…doesn’t matter…”, his unused voice croaked out.

A tiny bug landed on his eerily still hand, the spark of its light reflecting in his eyes. He slowly reached his other up and gripped at the dragon medallion around his neck.

“…King Hiryuu, you are returning…right?…Ze…Zeno’s waiting…" 

A sudden sob escaped his throat as the firefly few off his hand.

* * *

The night air was warm, cozy. The sky adorned by the moon and the stars and thousands and thousands of floating fireflies. Their glowing lights flickering as they danced and swirled on the breeze.

“How pretty!” Yona cooed as her eyes lit up with wonder.

“You’d never see this many fireflies in Kuuto”, Hak simply noted, looking more at the princess than at the summer night view.

“It is rather lovely, Princess!”

“Kija”, Jae-ha said with a teasing grin, “You do realize those are a type of bug?”

Kija’s eyes became wide as he flailed backward, “Eh?!”

“Ao, no…”, Shin-ah murmured as he picked the squirrel up to stop it from eating one of the blinking insects.

“All of you are standing around instead of helping set up camp”, Yun muttered but looked just as thrilled by the sight.

Zeno laughed, warm and happy and filled to the brim with love. The most beautiful thing about fireflies, Zeno thought, was that they returned every summer. Their lights blinking in different rhythms but their glow just as bright.  


End file.
